WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Haruto

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Pushover Young Lord in a Romance Fantasy Won't Take It Anymore ◈

Chapter 24: Echo

──────

A silence fell over the banquet hall as if someone had poured cold water over it.

The faces of the three men, including the Crown Prince, twisted viciously, while the nobles stood with their mouths agape in shock.

Yet Lucia saw only one person.

Leaving hundreds of piercing gazes behind, she stepped forward without hesitation.

Following where my heart leads. Walking toward the answer I want.

It was a thrilling sense of freedom she had never felt before.

The rustle of her dress. The click of her heels. The pounding of her heart. Every sensation was vivid.

Lucia wanted to hold on to this unfamiliar excitement.

She felt the same even when she came right up to Astin.

“......”

Astin furrowed his brow as though he could not understand what was happening.

Ziiiiing.

Hostile stares gathered on him from every direction.

The gazes of the three men in particular seemed ready to pierce his skin.

Seeing his distress so clearly, Lucia's overwhelming emotions scattered into a soft laugh.

He was such a transparent, adorable man.

“Don't look so sulky. Do you not want to dance with me?”

“It's not that I don't want to, but why did you specifically choose me?”

“It's not that I merely don't dislike you. I like you. That's why I chose you, Young Lord.”

Even after she explained, Astin's expression remained oddly unimpressed.

Rather than hurting her, that expression felt refreshing.

Had she ever seen such an expression on a man's face before?

Just then, the gentle classical melody filling the hall shifted into a graceful new tune.

Taking that as her cue, Lucia lightly bent her knees while holding the hem of her dress.

Astin hesitated, then stiffly bowed at the waist.

Swish.

Lucia extended her fingertips into the air and waited.

It was the moment when the gentleman was meant to take the lady's hand and lead.

But Astin's fingertips only hovered in the air. He hesitated, unable to decide whether to take her hand.

He truly could not hide what he was thinking.

“Oh, honestly. Give me your hand.”

Lucia had no choice but to reach out first. Their fingertips lightly overlapped in the air.

Only small portions of their fingers touched.

Yet even that tiny contact brought a strange warmth between them.

Tap, tap.

Their graceful steps began across the marble floor. Keeping a steady distance, they spun in circles.

As her surroundings slowly turned, Astin spoke in a low voice.

“Why did you not choose His Highness Zenon?”

Still moving her feet, Lucia tilted her head.

“Why should I have chosen His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“......”

Astin fell speechless.

He could hardly say, ‘That is what happened in the novel.’

“You remember what I said on the terrace, do you not? I said I would be honest about my feelings. That's why I chose you, Young Lord.”

“Have you already fallen for me, then?”

It was a blunt question.

A faint smile touched Lucia's lips.

“Who knows? Somewhere between curiosity and affection, perhaps. One thing is certain. I want to know you more deeply.”

“...Isn't that the same thing?”

A clear laugh slipped from Lucia's red lips.

Instead of answering, she gently tightened her fingers.

Using their touching fingertips as an axis, the distance between them repeatedly narrowed and widened.

Unlike Lucia, Astin's steps were clumsy and rough.

His stiff movements brought military drill training to mind.

“No wonder you could write a marching song.”

“Pardon?”

“It's nothing.”

Astin kept his gaze lowered the entire time.

He was worried his shoes might step on the hem of her dress. Worried his clumsy steps might disrupt her pace.

It was obvious that he was focusing all his attention on keeping his partner from getting hurt.

“You seem to be... pretending not to care, Young Lord.”

“Me?”

“Look. Even the pitch of your voice changes. You don't act this way around other people, only around me. Could it be that you're trying to hide that you like me...?”

Astin's facial muscles twitched slightly. Soon, his face went dry and cold.

“I'm not bluffing. I might sweep your leg.”

“...Pardon? What does that mean?”

“It means I could trip you and knock you onto the floor.”

Lucia froze at the unexpected answer.

Only for a moment, though. Her eyes curved like crescent moons.

“And what would you do after knocking me down?”

“......”

Before she knew it, Lucia had taken control of the conversation.

The same was true of the dance.

Lucia's steps carried her through a lively turn.

A playful voice drifted through the fluttering hem of her dress.

“Is this your first time dancing at a ball?”

“...Yes.”

A man infamous as a delinquent, this nervous over a simple dance.

That contrast was strangely charming.

The Astin she had seen on the terrace had possessed that same strange contrast.

“Don't be so stiff. I think ballroom dancing is more beautiful when you're clumsy at it.”

“Don't say things you don't mean.”

“I mean it. If every movement is precise and perfect, you can't put emotion into it. At that point, you may as well bring out a dancing machine instead of a partner.”

To Lucia, dancing was an art of communicating while filling in each other's gaps.

She had always thought so.

“You meet the other person's eyes and read their movements. You lessen contact in case it makes them uncomfortable. You try to match their stride, then your steps tangle. That's dancing, communicating as you fill in each other's gaps.”

His dance was stiff as a drill, but it showed exactly how much he was considering her.

That was why she liked it. He was clumsy, but his feelings were unmistakable.

“They say you can learn another person's feelings by looking into their eyes. But sometimes, avoiding someone's eyes makes your feelings even more transparent. Like you're doing now, Young Lord.”

Astin was deliberately avoiding Lucia's gaze, unaware that his reddened ears gave away his feelings.

The instant he heard that, Astin abruptly looked up.

He really was transparent.

Tap, tap.

As he followed Lucia's lead, Astin gradually began to find the rhythm.

Just as the mood softened, Astin glanced beyond the ballroom.

The three men Lucia had not chosen stood there, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes as though they wanted to kill him.

‘How am I supposed to dance like this?’

Astin's sideways glance remained fixed in that direction. Distracted by them, his dancing faltered.

Then, a soft touch suddenly landed on his chin.

Lucia had firmly grasped Astin's chin with both hands.

“Don't look elsewhere.”

Lucia forcibly turned his head so he faced her.

“Focus only on me right now.”

“......”

Astin did not turn his head again for the rest of the dance.

He kept only Lucia in his gaze and entrusted himself to the touch of her fingertips.

An unforgettable night at the imperial palace was drawing to a close.

* * *

The Founding Festival came to an end with the debutante ball.

We still spent a fairly long night afterward.

It had only been one day, but I saw firsthand just how extravagant the imperial palace was.

Then came the next day.

A carriage left the Eterna Imperial Palace behind and sped down the road as though gliding over it.

“Quite a show yesterday, Young Lord. You were the star of the ball, weren't you?”

“Shut it. Shut it.”

Julian, seated across from me, smugly teased me.

Lucia had publicly chosen me at the debutante ball, and I had ended up dancing with her before I knew what was happening.

After that, everyone was talking about it.

Still, some lingering feelings remained.

Lucia's scent, discernible even through the dizzying perfume. The feel of her skin still lingering at my fingertips.

The scene of dancing with her replayed in my mind like a panorama.

“It really is strange. Why in the world did Lady Lucia choose you, of all people?”

“I can't believe it either, man.”

Thinking back on it, I felt as though Lucia had seduced me.

Had she grown fond of me because of what I said on the terrace...?

I could almost hear Lucia's voice again.

Especially that last line, telling me to seduce her.

“I think it went the other way around.”

“Huh? Were you planning to seduce her first, Young Lord?”

“I was thinking of kicking you out of this carriage.”

Celine, seated beside me, rubbed her chin and hummed.

After falling deep into thought, she suddenly raised her head as though she had made up her mind.

“I want to learn to dance from Lucia too.”

“Out of nowhere?”

“Yes! Dancing at balls is a basic accomplishment for a lady. Lucia was so elegant and pretty yesterday, wasn't she? I want to be like that too.”

“Well, she was good at it.”

“She isn't called the star of high society for nothing.”

Lucia was called the star of high society for more than her dancing.

From the cosmetics, shoes, and dresses Lucia used to every other area, Lucia was the pioneer who set the trends of the imperial capital.

Most importantly, the Empire's most influential men actively courted her.

I felt that if we kept talking about Lucia, I would get teased, so I naturally changed the subject.

“What about you, Julian? Did you enjoy the Founding Festival? You weren't trying to pick up women again, were you?”

“With this face?”

“Ah. Sorry.”

A quiet snort slipped from Julian's lips. He looked noticeably more at ease.

“I promised to go to Cardenos with you, but what am I supposed to do once we arrive?”

Julian had closed Luna's Heart Path and hardened his resolve. He had taken on the weight of responsibility as well.

More than that, he had the makings of a romance fantasy male lead.

“Train until you're half-dead. Your body is sturdy, after all.”

“That's very simple.”

“There are no shortcuts in training. And I won't be the one teaching you. Someone else will.”

Julian furrowed his brow in confusion.

“If it won't be you, Young Lord, then who will teach me?”

“Hendrickson. Sir Hendrickson, our military advisor, will put you through hell.”

“What?!”

Julian's eyes widened enormously.

“S-Sir Hendrickson?! The former captain of the Imperial Knights, the Swordmaster I know?”

“That's right. He's Cardenos's military advisor now.”

“No, I heard he had gone into seclusion. Why is he there...?”

Julian's shocked face gleamed with anticipation. Even his tightly clenched fists trembled.

It was a vivid reaction, excitement and fighting spirit mixing together.

There was no need to explain Hendrickson's renown.

Any knight would go mad at the thought of such a great figure personally teaching them swordsmanship.

“If you stay under that crazy old man long enough, you might be able to forge Rings too.”

“Crazy old man? How dare you call a Swordmaster that!”

“Look at this bastard. I'm your superior. Speak respectfully if you don't want your face wrecked again.”

Julian quickly shut his mouth.

There was nothing easier than handling a knight. Let them feel the gap in strength, and that was that.

“I want to make Rings too!”

Caught up in the mood, Celine raised her hand and joined in.

I answered without even a second of hesitation.

“No.”

“Eek, why?”

“Forging Rings isn't something you can do with motivation alone. If you're not careful, you could burn to death.”

“...Die?”

“I said it's possible. I don't care whether this bastard Julian lives or dies, but I'll never let that happen to you.”

Celine's rabbit-like eyes widened. A shy smile had already spread across her lips.

She suddenly grabbed my arm and linked hers through it.

It struck me anew. Celine had become close enough to reach for me first.

I gently patted her small head.

With Celine's potential, she could forge Rings easily.

But it was still dangerous, and magic was a better path for Celine.

Honestly, as long as it wasn't that damned Luna, I didn't care what she did.

“You don't care whether I live or die?”

Julian asked with a hurt expression.

I shrugged.

“I can't lie. That's just the kind of person I am.”

“......”

“Don't be too hurt. I don't think my own life is precious either.”

“You should! Your life is the most precious thing, Brother!”

“As expected, you're the only one who cares about your big brother. Come here!”

Celine's cheeks immediately stretched like mochi. The more I touched them, the more addictive they seemed.

“Eeeek, my cheeks are pwecious too...”

“Your cheeks are precious, which is why only I get to touch them. If Julian touches them, he'll lose a wrist.”

“Why do you keep bringing me into this?”

* * *

The dazzling night of the Founding Festival had passed, and the sunset stretched long across the window.

Inside the returning carriage, Lucia rested her chin against the shaking window frame and looked outside.

Her mind was still replaying memories of the night before.

His clumsy, stiff footsteps. His frantic hand movements as he tried to match her.

Those golden eyes that had focused entirely on her kept flickering through her mind.

“He's such a strange person.”

The eldest son of a grand ducal house was that bad at ballroom dancing.

Lucia's lips drew a small curve. She fidgeted with the letter in her hands.

There was an old custom for men and women who danced together at a ball to exchange letters before parting.

Lucia held the letter Astin had given her.

“He even knows how to write letters. He’s more thoughtful than he looks.”

Then Lucia reconsidered.

Had he said he wrote to Azelin often too?

Thinking of her friend made one corner of her heart ache, but she immediately shook it off.

Right now, she wanted to focus on this one letter.

Lucia had received letters from many men.

They all had something in common. They were covered in gaudy gold-leaf decorations and drenched in perfume until the smell was overwhelming.

Astin's letter was different.

Plain stationery without special decoration. Sealed with wax, and that was all. Instead of perfume, only his scent faintly lingered on it.

Perhaps it touched her more because it was unadorned. Or perhaps she was simply wearing rose-colored glasses.

Filled with anticipation, Lucia carefully removed the wax seal and took out the small letter within.

What embarrassing words had that man written?

Had he written a long confession he could not say aloud?

The moment she unfolded the neatly folded letter, Lucia's eyes widened.

“Pfft.”

A laugh escaped her without meaning to.

There was no long-winded writing, nor were there any flowery phrases.

“How cold.”

Despite her words, a gentle smile settled on Lucia's lips.

The letter held only one line. Its handwriting was crooked and messy. There was not an ounce of apparent effort in it.

“When you accidentally stepped on my foot, I had a hard time holding back a scream.”

That was really all.

At a glance, it seemed thoughtless, but a letter was not just about its contents.

Faint traces of handling marked the edges, and countless fingerprints dotted it here and there.

Others might not have noticed, but Lucia could see them.

Marks like these could only be left after holding it for hours.

Astin had likely acted as though he had carelessly scribbled it down...

But his true feelings showed through so transparently that she let out another quiet laugh.

“This is ridiculous.”

Strictly speaking, Astin was at fault even though Lucia had stepped on his foot.

He had frantically tried to match his steps to her movements and failed to pull his foot away in time. It was absurd for him to turn it around on her.

Yet that was just like Astin.

Though they had only just met, she felt certain that Astin had to be this way.

Lucia placed a hand over her chest. A soft, warm emotion blossomed in one corner of her heart.

“......”

Without thinking, she brushed at the corner of her left eye. With her remaining hand, she gently ran her fingers over the crooked handwriting.

After a long time, Lucia carefully put the letter away again.

Fwoosh.

A small flame blooming at her fingertips melted the back of the wax seal. She pressed the softened wax back onto the stationery.

It looked as though the letter had never been opened.

She wished the excitement would return as well, but that was too much to ask.

His faint scent seemed to linger at the tip of her nose.

Too embarrassed to bring the letter to her nose and follow the scent, she lightly pressed it to the edge of her lips instead.

Lucia carefully drew in a breath. Only the quiet sound of her breathing settled in the space.

Inside the rattling carriage, Lucia remained for a long time in that wistful echo.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried